Old Bastakia

How Chicago Beach got its name...

Dubai's Oil was found offshore in 1966. Problem was how to store the oil. Solution was a series of underwater storage tanks called "Kazans" meaning "storage" in Arabic. Tanks resembled upturned Champagne Glasses with their bases sticking above the surface of the sea and their rims sitting on the bed of the sea. These 150 meter high structures were built on the shore and towed out to sea. The company that built the Kazans was the Chicago Bridge Engineering and Iron Company. For many years their construction crane dominated the skyline and carried their name and became a reference point. Soon the area was known as Chicago Beach although that was never its official name.

Chicago Beach Village

After the Kazzans were built the area reverted to beach and sand dunes but was still known as Chicago Beach. Eventually a gated Residential Community was built near the site comprising about 100 villas and housing mainly Expatriate Families. The Community was officially known as the Chicago Beach Village.

Chicago Beach Villlage was demolished to make way for the Madinat Al Jumeirah

How Chicago Beach nearly kept its name
..but lost it!

The construction of an iconic hotel to be built offshore from the old Chicago Beach Hotel was the first of many astonishing projects to change the face of "Old" Dubai. The announcement said it was to be called the "new" Chicago Beach Hotel. The hotel was Sheikh Mohammed's personal project. On the day the hotel was completed he announced a new name - Bouj Al Arab. Chicago Beach disappeared from Dubai's map

Sheikh Rashid